Max watched as Lucian left with his father and uncle in tow before turning to look at Morgan. He wondered if she had a keyblade as well. He knew of her training in magic, but it seemed like everyone that ended up on that island received one. [color=3155b4]“Hey,”[/color] he said, finally cutting the silence. [color=3155b4]“Do you want to join in on helping your friends?”[/color]

Even with the silence broken, there was a long pause from Morgan, who had gone back to staring at the statue. She had been quiet since she woke up, only asking a few questions, trying to understand all this. It was a lot to take in… that contact had been lost with the world she was from. That this great Wizard that EVERYONE seemed to come to for help was not only just her mentor, but they came from the same world, and she was once his direct apprentice? And the hardest part to believe of all, that she was a Princess of some far off Kingdom, who had Knights protecting her everywhere she went. Looking at herself now… it was hard to imagine any of that. Just trying to remember those things made her head hurt, made the world around her blur, as if filled with static. 

[color=6ecff6]“My friends…”[/color] She repeated the words, as if trying to understand them, likely due to the fact she was so lost in her own thoughts. Turning her head, looking over her shoulder at Max, she said “I have only known them for a few months now, they are all… different. They all manifested these weapons, those, keyblades.” She held up her hand and looked at it, before adding “I can barely conjure ice, it happens when it wants to, but to hear that I was once some, master Mage capable of powerful magic…” She clenched her first, before continuing… [color=6ecff6]“I suppose, for all they did for me, they deserve my help, even if they may not need it. I’m not sure of what help I can be, I have caused more harm with my magic than good. And with them all wielding those Keyblades… and me not having any such thing…”[/color] She stared at the orb, where she could see Lucian soon joining the fight, as she said [color=6ecff6]“How does a Princess come to the aid of heroes…”[/color]

It was Merlin who stepped in, as he said [color=00aeef]“Well, it makes sense. Black Magic was never your specialty, and not something you ever mastered, or even tried to for that matter. You were well versed in White Magic, healing and light magic as it were. Not to mention Astrology, the magic of the stars. However, it would seem that, for whatever reason, as you lost your memory, Black Magic is what you have clung to. I would say it is because Black Magic is itself, an instinctual magic… but it does not matter. So, this is my advice, as your mentor. Let go of what you have been told about how you were once the master of any sort of magic. See yourself as you are, an apprentice mage who has barely begun her journey to learn magic. You must learn the basics, before you try anything too advanced. I’m sure Daisy here can help you along with a few of the basic spells. And though I use words such as ‘basic’, do not misunderstand. Magic, in any form, can be dangerous. Even the beginner spells you will start with, will be more than a match for the heartless you come up against."[/color] 

[color=a3a3dd]“I'd be happy to teach you,”[/color] Daisy said, stepping in. [color=a3a3dd]“We can train on our Gummi Ship between worlds and on other worlds when we're not fighting.”[/color]

[color=3155b4]“And I think a princess has every right to be a hero. Whoever says she can't be the one doing the saving? And yeah, your friends may have keyblades and you don't really have a handle on your magic, but none of that makes a hero. It's the desire to protect and help others. That's why I became a knight and all I needed was that desire and this lance.”[/color] He conjured his lance and hoisted it on his right shoulder. [color=3155b4]“So I ask again, do you wanna help your friends?”[/color] Whether she was convinced they were friends or not, he didn't care. He had the evidence that proved it before he gave it to Lucian.

[color=6ecff6]“My friends…”[/color] She said it again, as she did the first time, like the concept was a mystery to her. This time though, she was thinking back to before they left the island, the things that were said, about no matter where they go, how they were going to be in each other’s hearts. Who said that? What she remembered most though was how when everybody came in to embrace each other, she didn’t, she didn’t feel like she deserved it. Even though they had helped her, given her a place to stay, dealt with her memory loss, she didn’t feel like she had earned their friendship. Whatever she considered them, she had no idea what they considered her. But, that meant there was only one choice. If she didn’t deserve their friendship, if she hadn’t earned it… well, now was the time to start. 

She looked back to Max, and nodded. [color=6ecff6]“I haven’t been a great friend to them so far, so it’s hard for me to think of them as friends, because I don’t feel like I earned that from them. But Lucian came all this way to help me, and without him I wouldn’t be here. So, it’s time to start earning that friendship, and let them decide if I deserve it.”[/color]

Merlin gave a little hop and a skip, with a cheery [color=00aeef]“By jove that’s the spirit! Well, you’re most of the way there anyway. One more thing before you go…”[/color] He stepped over to the Fairy Godmother, whispering in her ear.

A smile crept on the Fairy Godmother's face. This was her favorite part. She lifted her wand and said, “Bippity boppity boo, let's make your old clothes like new!” With a flick of the wrist her spell released from her wand and enveloped Morgan.

As magic swirled around Morgan, a wooden staff appeared in her hand, and her more modern clothes glowed and lengthened, leaving her in a white robe, and a tall pointed hat, just like how she looked in the painting on the wall back in Merlin’s shop. She looked like her older self again, at least somewhat. 

[color=00aeef]“There we go, a Witch must look the part, now… on you go, and remember, you always have a place to rest here with me, whenever you need it.”[/color]

Morgan gripped the staff, trying to get a feel of familiarity for it… but there was no time for that, as soon she was out the door, running off in the direction all the noise was coming from.

Max smiled, watching Morgan's determination on display. He followed after her with Daisy in tow. If she was going to earn their friendship he was going to earn hers by helping her with this goal.

By time the Trio arrived at the location of the battle, a mass of Lesser Heartless had started to swarm, blocking them from reaching the others. Morgan could see some fighting a much larger Heartless, but they couldn’t get to them from their location. Of course, it only took a few moments for a large portion of them to notice them, and turn ready to attack. Unlike back on the island, these Heartless didn’t hesitate, charging at them. 

Morgan thought quickly, and held up her staff. [color=6ecff6]“Max, hold them off as best you can, we need just a minute.”[/color] Then looking to Daisy she said [color=6ecff6]“I need your help, let’s create a path to the others, we’ll work better if we can all group up together.”[/color] And then, she started channeling an ice spell, having to work through the ‘how’ as it came up, eyes closed to focus. Her intent was to create two walls of ice straight through the Heartless, blocking them off and making a safe path… at least one that would hopefully hold long enough for them to get through. Naturally, she was trying to hurry as she didn’t expect Max to hold off a whole ocean of Heartless on his own for long.

Max nodded and made a dash toward the Heartless, impaling the first one on his lance. Before it could fully dissipate he swung his lance before thrusting it forward on another to make a Heartless kebab. They tried to wriggle free, but that only hastened their defeat. They dissipated around his lance freeing the weapon to face more.

Fortunately he didn’t have to hold them long, before Morgan and Daisy managed a spell that created an explosion of ice that ran in a line straight toward the larger Heartless, a wall of ice rising up on both sides. Almost immediately the Lesser Heartless started to claw at it, trying to break through. 

Morgan had to take a moment, not used to actually intentionally using magic, but with no time to waste, she quickly said [color=6ecff6]“I don’t think that will hold them for long…”[/color] She ran down the path, and they really didn’t have long as she suspected, as just as soon as they were running through the path, the ice was starting to crack. By the time they came out the other side, finally joining the rest of the group, it shattered behind them, and the Heartless poured in, surrounding them once again.

[color=3155b4]“Great job, Morgan!”[/color] Max shouted in support as they made it through to the other side. He watched as the Heartless started to pour in again, but he wasn't worried. They had three keyblade wielders, three magicians, and two knights. Even if two of the wielders were tired and bruised the odds were still in their favor. He hoped.